Machine-gun



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O. B; SCOTT.- MACHINE GUN.

No. 299 ,686. '4 Patented June a, 1884.

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0113. SCOTT.

MACHINE GUN.

No. 299,686. Patented June 3, 1884.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

oI-IARLEs B. soOTT, OF LAS vEeAs, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.

MACHINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 299,686, dated J'nne 3, 1884.

Application filed January 8, 1884.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. Soo'rT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Las Vegas, in the county of San Miguel and Territory of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Magazine or Machine Guns; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to provide a magazine or machine gun of a novel and simplified construction, whereby the same may be fired at any angle without changing the position of the base upon which it rests, and wherein the cartridges are horizontally conveyed to and exploded at the exact moment of passing the breech of the gun-barrel, and also by which the cartridges may be fed consecutively into position in unlimited numbers without cessation of firing, means being also provided for regulating the temperature of the gun-barrel during the operation of firing; and my improvements consist, essentially, of the details of construction and general arrangement of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically designated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my complete invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a top plan view, and Fig. 4 a detail sectional view thereof.

Similar letters of reference occurring on the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

In carrying out my invention, the base or bed frame A is preferably of a tripod shape, being composed of a flat circular table supported by three spreading legs, as shown, the upper part of the circular table being recessed out to receive the circular baseB of the hinged upright B, and the said base B being held upon the said table by an overlapping circular flange, A, as fully shown in Fig. 1.

In the upper endof the upright B is pivoted the lower part of the frame 0, which car ries the gun-barrel, the sliding magazine breech-block, and the mechanism for operat- (No model.)

ing said breech-block and for discharging the cartridges, said frame being composed of two elongated and solid sides, 0 C united by an elongated slotted bottom, 0 and an upper central block or cover, 0, the gun-barrel I) being formed solid with the center of the side 0, as shown. -Within the slotted bottom of the frame 0 is arranged a series of rollers, a, upon which the elongated magazine breech block E is adapted to freely slide in a horizontal position, and at right angles to the breech of the gun, the said elongated breeoh-block E being provided with a horizontal range of chargechambers, b, which are arranged at such distances apart that at each movement of the breech-block a cartridge is brought into firing position in the rear of the gun-barrel D.

Upon each side of the upper and lower surfaces of the breech-block E is arranged a narrow ratchet, c, the angles of the ratchet upon one side projecting in a reverse direction to the angles of the ratchet upon the opposite side, the object of such an arrangement being that either end of the said breech-block may be readily ingerted in position in the frame 0 with the same effect.

Upon the upper surface of the slotted bottom 0, and immediately in the rear of the gun-barrel D, is arranged a fiat spring, (I, the free end of which engages with the ratchet nearest the rear of the gun-barrel, upon the lower surface of the breech-block, the object of the same being to prevent the said breechblook from moving in a contrary direction to that intended, as also to hold the breech-block in place as each cartridge is brought forward in position for firing.

Near one end of the gun-frame G are provided two uprights, c e, which are pivoted near the bottom of said frame-one on each sideand connected together at the top by a cross-arm, e", as shown.

Upon the center of the crossarm e are journaled the outer ends of two arms, F F, the inner end of the arm F being adapted to work through a slot in the central block or cover, 0, and engage with the ratchet upon the upper surface of the breech-block .E, opposite the rear of the gun-barrel, a spring, f, secured to the upper part of the central block or cover, 0*, serving to keep the end of said I I I I h arm F down in contact with the ratchet. The I screw-rod in reverse directions for either eleinner end of the arm F is of a wedge or cam shape, which works beneath a small arm or.

lug, g, on a vertical rod, h, which is supported in slots in a cross-frame, G, and in the central block or cover, 0, through which it works, a spring, t, upon the cross-frame G serving to depress the rod h down in the slot through the central block or cover, 0, and the lower end of the said rod It being sharp or pointed for engagement with the ratchet upon the upper surface of the breech-block E nearest the rear of the gun-barrel.

Upon the back part of the side 0 and rig idly secured thereto, is provided a downwardly-proj'ecting' frame, H, having a cross-arm, H, projecting over the same, as shown, and within which is journaled the driving-wheel I, having'a suitable crank-handle, I, for operating the same, said wheel being provided with two inwardly-projecting angular flanges, 1 as shown. To the'rig'ht of the wheel I is arranged the trigger J, which is pivoted at its center within a projection upon the side of the frame H, the bottom of said trigger being bent outwardly at right angles to its length to provide a short arm, is, upon which is journaled a friction-roller, k. The upper end of I thetrigger J projects into an opening inthe To the left of the wheel I is provided an elongated and vertical spring-arm, K, which is secured at its lower end to the bottom of the frame H, while its upper end is provided with a wedge-shaped bolt, m, which proj ects through a slot in the said frame H, witktpne side abutting against the lower end of the upright 6, below the point where said upright is pivoted to the frame. 7

The gun-barrel D is surrounded by an inclosing jacket, D, of copper, brass, or other suitable material, the space between the two parts being adapted to be filled with water, and is provided with an exhaust-cock, n, beneath the muzzle of the gun, and a valve, 0, at the breech of the same, the object being to keep the barrel cool during the operation of firing.

To the base of the vertical upright B is provided a rigid cross-arm, L, upon each end of which are pivoted the one ends of the arms L L, the opposite ends of said arms being p'ivoted to the lower ends of the two rods L L the upper ends of which in turn are pivoted to a circular projection, M, beneath the muzzle of the gun. A cross-bar, N, is pivoted between the two' rods L L, near their lower ends, and said cross bar is provided with a circular screw opening for the reception of the outer end of the screw-rod I, the inner end of which has its bearings in a bracket upon the side of the vertical upright 13, and is provided with a suitable wheel, R, for turning said vating or depressing the muzzle of the gun.

To the lower end of the upright B is secured a' cross-frame, S, which is provided with a lever, T, by means of which the gun, with its mechanism, is turned in any suitable direction, as may be required.

The construction ofgny invention being as above described, it will be observed that in the operation of the same the sliding breechblock E, having its chambers filled with cartridges, is first adjusted in the frame 0 upon the rollers a, with the end of the arm F engaging with the ratchet 0 upon the outer up: per surfaceof said breech-block. The wheel Iis then turned bythe crank I, causing one of the angular flanges I to press the wedgeshaped bolt m on the upper end of the springarm K into the recess in the frame, and to force back the lower end of the upright e, causing its upper end and the cross-arm e to move forward, thereby operating the armE, which pushes the breech-block inwardly, until a cartridge is brought into position at the rear of the breech of the gun and in true line therewith. Simultaneous with the movement of the arm F the arm F also moves forward, its wedge-shaped end moving outwardly from beneath the lug g, and allowing the vertical rod h to descend and engage with the ratchet upon the inner upper surface of the breechblock to hold the same in place, aided by the spring d upon the upper surface of the slotted bottom 0 until the cartridge is exploded. At'

spring-arm K, having cleared the said angular flanges I on the wheel I, resume their former positions, the arm 6 being thrown back by the spring 8 upon the frame H, and the arms YIIO F F raising the vertical rod bland dropping into the next depression of the ratchet in respective order. The above operation is repeated at pleasure, causing a continuous and 1. In a machine-gun, the co1nbination,with

the single barrel D, having a surrounding jacket, D, provided with inlet and outlet connections, said jacket bearing against the frame 0, and serving to support the barrel, of the frame 0, the breech-block E, sliding horizontally therein, and mechanism for operating said breech-block and for discharging the cartridges as they are fed into position at the breech of the gun, all substantially as shown and described.

2. In a machine-gun, the combination,with the barrel D, of the slotted frame 0, having its bottom provided with a continuous series of anti-friction rollers, a, the breech-bloek reversely ratcheted on opposite sides of top and bottom, and supported on such rollers, together with suitable pawl mechanism, whereby the breech-block is moved endwise and the chambers brought into alignment with the barrel of the gun in proper sequence for firing, all substantially as shown and described.

3. In a machine-gun, the combination, with the frame 0, having the horizontal sliding breech-block E and slotted cover 0*, the 31prights 6 e, pivoted to the frame, and provided with cross-arm e", of thearms F F, journaled at their outer ends on the arm e the inner end of the arm F passed into the slot of the cover to engage the ratchet of the block, and the spring f, holding the arm in contact with the ratchet, and the arm F,having its inner end engaging thelug on the rod h, said arm pass- 5. The combination of the upright 13, carrying the frames 0 and H and gun D, and provided with the circular base B, cross-frame S, and bar or lever T, with the tripod-shaped base A and flange A, substantially as and for 0 the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES B. SCOTT. Witnesses:

JOHN W. BELLES, J. H. ONERHULs. 

